


Prototype

by ipacialiera



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety, Depression, F/M, First Love, First Meetings, First Time, Friends to Lovers, Grief/Mourning, M/M, Marriage, Memories, Moving On, Romance, Teenage Drama, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-25
Updated: 2017-02-25
Packaged: 2018-09-26 19:11:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9917687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ipacialiera/pseuds/ipacialiera
Summary: Prompto learns how to embrace the future by acknowledging his past.Mild spoilers for the end of the game.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I got an idea for a "first meetings" story with Noctis and Prompto, where Noctis is basically just a huge dick initially and Prompto struggles to be friends with him. I find it hard to believe that the two got along swimmingly, right off the bat. I wrote this instead. This is a standalone and has a female OC in it. I know OCs can suck, but I hope mine doesn't.
> 
> Bottom Line: This story deals with Prompto trying to build a new love over the remnants of an old one and how memories of the latter always persist.

I. BEATAE MEMORIAE (of blessed memory)

 

Prompto’s heart was in his throat as he wandered the school halls. He was walking with Noctis after finally introducing himself to him. Prompto was still very nervous even though the introduction was rather uneventful and not what he expected. Truthfully, he didn’t really know what exactly he expected. All he knew is that he felt like today was the day that things were finally going to head in the right direction.

Noctis had asked Prompto if he had wanted to skip the next period. Prompto didn’t really want to, since it was gym class, but he already knew he would do anything Noctis asked him to do, without question.

“So on a scale of one to ten, with ten being Solid Snake level, how were my sneaking skills, really?” Their footsteps echoed through the empty halls as they walked to no particular destination.

Noctis looked at him. He looked uninterested and it was off-putting to Prompto.

“Negative fifty,” Noctis responded. “You suck."

“Oh, man.” Prompto’s mind was racing to say something, anything else. He wanted to say something witty, something that would make Noctis stop and smile at him. Prompto wanted to hear what his laugh sounded like. Instead, they continued to walk down the halls in silence.

“Do you want to go see a movie?” Noctis asked. They had been walking without saying anything for so long, Prompto jumped a little at the sound of his voice.

“Yeah? Right now?”

“Yeah.” Noctis nodded as he pulled out his cell phone. “The rest of my classes are bullshit, anyway. My car can be here in about ten minutes.”

They went to see some dumb action movie and Noctis fell asleep halfway through it, spilling popcorn all over his lap. Prompto was amazed at the fact that Noctis could sleep through explosions and men crashing through glass buildings and, when the movie was over, he struggled to wake Noctis up. Noctis was pissed and they walked, without speaking, to the front of the theater in order to wait for his driver.

“You know,” Prompto began. “I’m okay. I’ll just walk home.”

“You sure?” Noctis sounded as if he couldn’t care less.

“Yeah. Thanks for the movie.” Prompto gave a wave, walking away slowly. He was hoping that by walking slowly, it would give Noctis time to reconsider things, to ask him to stick around. Of course, that didn’t happen and Prompto felt really foolish.

“Bye,” Prompto mumbled and started to jog away. When he got home he began to cry and he stared at the fast food that he had picked up in transit. The grease stained bag sat ominously on his kitchen table and mocked him, daring him to open it up and indulge. Prompto sat slumped over in a chair and continued to stare at it, rubbing at his runny nose. He sat there for an indeterminable amount of time before he finally pushed his chair back and went to his room. Wiping his face and hands on a t-shirt that was discarded on his bed, he opened his desk drawer and pulled out Lady Lunafreya’s letter. He closed his eyes as he gently brought the soft, thick paper to his nose and inhaled deeply.

“Luna,” he murmured against the stationery. “I don’t know if I can do this.”

Later that night, he had a dream about her. In it, she basically told him what he knew deep in his heart he needed to do.

 _Noctis needs you,_ the Dream Luna whispered as she ran a soft hand along Prompto’s cheek.

Prompto stared at himself in the mirror the next morning, before school. He straightened his posture and smiled at his reflection, touching the cheek that Luna had touched in his dream.

“Noctis needs me,” he said to himself. He grabbed the cold bag of food that was still on the table and chucked it in the trash as he went out the door.

\----

Even with his renewed sense of determination, it wasn’t easy for Prompto to become friends with Noctis at first. Noctis had an uncanny knack of being a complete asshole to everyone, though Prompto knew that wasn’t the truth. It couldn’t have been. He could sense it.

They finally made progress when Prompto invited him over to his house one day. He figured Noctis might want to experience some sense of normalcy, that he would want to see how the rest of the plebs lived if only out of morbid curiosity. Prompto’s heart flipped in his chest when Noctis agreed and he had spent the night before the visit maniacally cleaning, even getting down on his knees to scrub floors. The house was too spotless and it was too obvious. Noctis entered the home and looked around, his expression unreadable.

“Cool,” he muttered and walked to the kitchen. Prompto followed him around in nervous silence, as if he were being inspected.

Noctis opened the fridge and peered in, sighing. “No soda? And what’s up with all this rabbit food?”

Prompto had no soda, but he made some iced tea that he had found in the far back of a cabinet. They made their way to Prompto’s room, sipping their tea as Prompto began showing Noctis around. Prompto felt heat rise to his cheeks as Noctis went through his stuff, seeming to be genuinely interested. He had an extensive vinyl collection and a very detailed bird encyclopedia that seemed to especially impress Noctis.

“You can borrow that book if you want. You can take some of my records and the player if you want, too.”

“Yeah? Thanks.” Noctis looked around some more. His eyes fell on Prompto’s camera that was on a bookshelf.

“You take pictures?” Noctis made his way over to the camera and Prompto’s heart stopped when he grabbed it. He didn’t want him to see the pictures. Prompto quickly moved over to Noctis to get the camera back.

“Uh, yeah.” Prompto made a reach for the small, red camera but Noctis turned away from him and started to review the pictures immediately. “But, they suck. It’s nothing serious. My camera’s still a pretty good DSLR even though it’s small, but it’s not good enough and I can’t afford --”

“They’re good, Prompto,” Noctis interjected, still reviewing the pictures. “Really good. The one you took of the people in the park was really awe…some.”

Prompto closed his eyes and sighed. He assumed that Noctis had stumbled upon his selfies. Noctis was silent as he navigated through the photos, the click of the the camera buttons being the only sound in the room. Prompto still had the progress photos he had taken over the years, but he also had some more. He had recently, foolishly, started to take nude pictures of himself, as if he actually had someone to send them to. Maybe he was vainly hoping he would be able to send them to Noctis one day.

“Hmm.” Noctis set the camera back on the bookshelf. Prompto wanted to die.

“Noctis…”

“Too bad you don’t have a better camera. You’d have much better resolution, I’m sure.”

Noctis said nothing else as he turned on the TV and started up King's Knight.

The next day, Prompto returned home from school after trying to avoid Noctis as much as he could. When he opened his front door, he stepped on a slightly thick envelope. On it was scrawled script that was barely legible.

 _To a friend,_ the envelope read. He opened it to find several large bills and a note.

_A gift, so you can properly pursue your passion._

\----

Noctis started coming over a lot after that. The two became inseparable and, eventually, Prompto finally got to see him smile and laugh. He felt special every time he got to see and hear Noctis enjoying himself. Noctis’ smile was always crooked and he tried hard to look cool, confident. But Prompto knew better.

They learned a lot of things about each other. Noctis learned that Prompto was fluent in three languages and Prompto learned that Noctis was actually a musician. He revealed that he could play the guitar and sing almost shyly and in a manner that was so unlike him.

“No shit?” Prompto was intrigued. “Can you play a little bit for me, one day?”

“I mean, I’m not, like, super good. I guess I’m passable. Maybe. I don’t know.” He was rambling. He stopped and looked at Prompto. “But…I guess I can play you something. Not now though.”

So Prompto pulled out an old guitar that was collecting dust in his closet. He cleaned it and tried to tune it as best as he could then set it in a corner of his room, waiting for when Noctis was ready.

Noctis played for him one Saturday night. He was sleeping over and they were getting ready to go out to some stupid nightclub that he insisted on taking Prompto to. It would be the first club experience for the both of them. Just as Prompto was going to suggest that they leave, Noctis grabbed the guitar and began singing. Prompto watched him in awe, baffled that he could sing and play really, really well.

“And you’ve been hiding this, why?” Prompto shook his head. “You’re so good, Noctis. Why don’t you sing more often?”

Noctis set the guitar down and sighed. He looked at Prompto and there was a profound sadness in his eyes that was startling.

“I find it easier to sing when I’m happy.”

Prompto replayed what Noctis said the entire car ride to the club. He replayed it, over analyzed it, became miserable because of it. It bothered him, so much, as he wondered why he wasn’t enough to make Noctis happy.

\----

The club was garbage, as expected. Prompto felt out of place. They were both out of place, considering that they were probably the only teenagers in there, but nobody said anything. Nobody dared to say anything to the prince.

Prompto left Noctis at the bar as he went to the bathroom. He had felt his anxiety kick in full gear almost as soon as they entered the club; when he reached for his drink, his hand was shaking. He needed to splash some water on his face and take a moment. When he returned, he saw that a girl had taken his place. The girl was more like a woman, a buxom blonde that was slightly taller than Noctis. She was dressed in all silver and white and, while very attractive, she reminded Prompto of some demented, slutty version of an angel. Prompto held his breath as he saw her get closer to Noctis, leaning into him and placing a hand at the small of his back.

Prompto hated confrontation so he wasn’t going to approach them. All he could do was watch the situation unfold in front of him and wait to see what would happen. Noctis was unmoving, leaning over the bar with his beer in his hands and looking straight ahead. Eventually, she got the hint and sulked off. Prompto exhaled and smiled a bit as he made his way back to Noctis. He elbowed Noctis, who was taking a swig of his beer.

“How’d that go?”

“So fucking annoying. I just stonewall them. They eventually go away.” He glanced at Prompto, looking him up and down. “Unlike you.”

They both chuckled and continued to sip their drinks. Prompto had a beer as well and it tasted like how cat piss smells, but it was really the only thing he could handle. Some club banger rap song that the both of them liked came on and Noctis nodded over to the dance floor. He moved closer to Prompto to speak and Prompto held his breath again but, this time, for an entirely different reason.

“Want to dance?” Noctis asked.

Prompto shook his head. “No. Do you?”

Noctis laughed and shook his head.

“Do you want to go?” Prompto asked. He wanted nothing more than to get out of the club and get back to the comfort of his home.

“Yeah,” Noctis yelled back as the music began to crescendo. They left and his driver was already waiting at the curb.

“Want to take a camping trip?” Noctis randomly asked during their ride home. “I’ve never told anyone this before, but…while I like music, fishing is my true passion.”

Prompto raised his eyebrows. Noctis didn’t strike him as a fisherman. “Really?”

Noctis nodded. “If I weren’t a prince, I would be in the middle of nowhere in a cabin, along the water, fishing until I croaked.”

“Wow,” said Prompto. “I’ve never been fishing before.”

“I…figured we could camp and fish and you could take some pictures of some birds. I’d like to see if we can find a specific one, so I could get a snap of it.” Noctis was shy again and Prompto wanted to kiss him. Prompto smiled.

“Sure.”

\----

Prompto almost forgot about their plans, but they finally went camping around two months later. It took Noctis that long to wear his father down and get approval, but it was worth it. King Regis allowed Noctis to travel with only two Kingsglaive and they traveled far from the Crown City. It was early August and summer vacation was still in effect, so they had the ability to take their time and travel wherever they wanted. They traveled to the Vesperpool because Noctis had heard that there was a lone shack along the water that sold best fishing gear in Eos. Prompto found that hard to believe but he wouldn’t know otherwise. It was also, coincidentally, one of the places where they could find the bird Noctis wanted to see.

They rose early the next morning, during that special half-dark between night and the dawn that made you feel like you were somehow in an intermediate state of existence. It was still too dark for Prompto to look for any birds, so he followed Noctis to the lake that was covered in a thick blanket of fog. He began taking pictures of Noctis quietly fishing in the low light, the deep blues and grays making him look dreamlike.

Eventually, the sun fully rose and Prompto was able to scout for some birds. He left Noctis to his fishing as he walked alone in the surrounding forest. He ended up not only getting pictures of several birds and some amazing flora, but he got a picture of the bird Noctis wanted. He moved the picture to a hidden folder on his camera; he didn’t want Noctis to see it just yet.

Later that night, it was unseasonably cold and they weren’t prepared for it. The two of them reviewed Prompto’s pictures in their tent, huddled together under several covers on an inflatable mattress.

“Shit, Prompto, these are so good,” said Noctis. He was the closest he had ever been to Prompto, who felt dizzy.

“Thanks.” Prompto didn’t dare to say much more.

When they were done, Noctis took Prompto’s camera and carefully set it aside in its case. He then just stared at Prompto, who grew uncomfortable. Prompto tried to laugh and lighten the mood.

“What, do I have something on my face?”

“Why haven’t you taken more selfies? I haven't seen any in a while.” Noctis asked. Prompto could have sworn that Noctis was moving closer to him, trying to nudge a knee in between his legs.

“Um,” Prompto started. “No time? No need, since there’s no one to send them to?"

“That didn’t stop you before.” A pause. “Why don’t you send them to me?”

Prompto couldn’t take anymore.

“Noctis, what are you doing?”

Noctis kissed him then, and Prompto gave up. He gave up thinking, denying his feelings. He also tried to give up his heart in surrender to Noctis, but realized that there was nothing left to give; he had done that, long ago.

They slept together that night. It was quintessentially awkward and, ultimately, unsatisfying for the both of them, but Prompto didn’t expect anything different. He just hoped that they had more chances to practice together.

\----

They did.

By the time Noctis’ birthday rolled around at the end of the month, they had slept together almost daily. Sometimes more than once. They continued to learn more about each other, but in a much more interesting way.

They were in Prompto’s bed on the evening of August 30th. Prompto had initially planned on taking Noctis out for a birthday dinner, but Noctis decidedly had other plans. Prompto embraced Noctis and ran a hand through his sweaty hair.

“I have a birthday present for you.”

Noctis sighed, content. His head was resting on Prompto’s chest and he was half asleep.

“I thought I already got my present?”

“Well…” Prompto continued to caress Noctis. “I have another one. Can I get up?”

Noctis groaned but let him up. He leered at Prompto’s naked body and tried to smack his ass as he made his way across the room, making Prompto laugh. Prompto grabbed a thin, medium sized, and square shaped present from behind his desk. When he handed it over, Noctis tried to play cool; however, Prompto could see shades of the happy child he used to be as he ripped off the wrapping paper.

“I don’t get many wrapped presents anymore,” Noctis said. Prompto figured that Noctis already knew what it was, given the present’s distinctive shape, but he didn’t let on if he did. He nervously watched Noctis stare at the present when it was fully unwrapped.

“Well?” Prompto asked. Noctis continued to stare at the picture of the bird that he had requested. It was a beautifully framed, color print that was blown up large enough so Noctis could see every detail, every color of the feathers. Noctis was genuinely surprised. Since Prompto never told him if he saw the bird during the camping trip, he just assumed he never got the shot.

“Prompto,” Noctis whispered. “Thank you. This is the best present I’ve ever received.”

“Heh. Well…I doubt that. But, you’re welcome. Happy birthday.”

They kissed tenderly and Noctis let three words slip out that would forever change Prompto’s life.

“Very funny,” Prompto muttered, rolling his eyes. On the inside, his mind was screaming.

“I do.” Noctis grabbed one of Prompto’s hands. “The shit going on right now…it’s just crazy. It made me start thinking about how I shouldn’t hesitate to try and get what I want. What I want is you.”

Noctis was referencing the rising tensions between the the Kingdom and the Empire. Recently, they seemed to be escalating at a rate that scared them both.

Prompto didn’t know what to say. He figured that he fell in love with Noctis when they were children and he had consequently shaped the image of his ideal mate based on Noctis. Over the years he had imagined how it would be to hear Noctis say that he loved him, countless times. But his thoughts and daydreams did nothing to prepare him for the actual event and he just sat on the edge of his bed, mute.

“Say something, Prompto.” Noctis was starting to look nervous.

“Okay.” Prompto nodded and grabbed Noctis’ other hand. “Okay.”

They made love again after that. It was different this time around. They were slower, gentler. In the end, Prompto’s heart was so full of love and beauty that it felt as if he were perched high on a windy cliff, ready to fall. It was scary to him and he expressed this fear to Noctis. He was relieved when Noctis confessed that he felt the same. At least they could fall together.  

 

II. SPE FUTURI (of hopeful future)

 

He saw her on the streets of Insomnia. They were walking on the opposite sides, Prompto walking one way and her the other. He didn’t know how he even saw her since her tiny body was all but engulfed by the cluster of people walking along the street with her. He stopped in his tracks and stared, feeling himself be nudged and bumped by the people he was in the way of.

He couldn’t really tell what made him stop. It wasn’t her face. He couldn’t see it all that well because it was buried in a cell phone she was using as she deftly made her way through the crowd. He could see some parts of her: pale skin covered in tight leather and long, jet black hair parted down the middle. He watched her regardless, unable to look away and move on. He felt rooted to the spot.

She was almost out of his view and was about to be lost in the crowd. She was walking too fast. Prompto hesitated, then jogged to the nearest crosswalk. He crossed the street and was now on the same side as her, making his way to about fifteen feet behind her. He watched her bobbing head that was still looking down at her phone and followed her. When she finally stopped, it was at an arcade and Prompto was alarmed when he realized that he had been following her for almost twenty minutes.

He stopped two doors down from the arcade, watching her enter. After a few seconds, he made his way to the glass storefront. He saw her greet the young man behind the counter, giving him a fist bump, then make her way to the token machine. She then made her rounds, greeting more people along the way, before settling at a game. Prompto stood in front of the glass, still watching.

He entered the arcade before he knew what he was doing. The young man behind the counter hardly glanced up from the comic book he was reading to greet the new customer, looking bored. The look on his face quickly transitioned to one of awe when he realized who had just walked in. Prompto made a sharp turn to the left to get away from him before he said anything. Walking slowly through the game machines with his hands tucked into his pockets, Prompto couldn’t be any more conspicuous. He looked like a creep and he knew it. He got as close as five feet away from her and was about to leave until she started speaking, not turning around from her game.

“You know, you’re pretty bad at sneaking around.”

Prompto froze. He had been in this position before, yet he still didn’t know what to do.

She clicked her tongue as music played and game over flashed on the screen. Turning around, she leaned back against the game cabinet and crossed her arms. She was beautiful.

“I…” Prompto began. “I’m sorry. I’m Pro--“

“I know who you are,” she interrupted and was thoroughly unimpressed. She grabbed one of his hands. “Come on.”

He let her drag him across the arcade. Sometimes, she’d look back and look at him directly. Her features were delicate, her skin smooth and unmarked like porcelain with the only distinguishing features being her blood red lips and her blue eyes. Her eyes were sparkling with amusement as she dragged him to a dancing game.

“I’ll have you know, I’m undefeated.” She let go of his hand and cracked her gloved knuckles. “I’m a fighter, so I’m super flexible.” She winked.

Prompto swallowed and watched her as she walked closely past him. He could smell her perfume. She stood on the game's platform and turned around to face him again, raising her eyebrows as if to ask if he was coming or not. He had no other choice. He wasn’t ready to leave yet.

Prompto stepped on the platform and she inserted two tokens. He sighed.

“I’m really bad at these dancing games.”

She pulled her hair into a ponytail and took off her jacket. She wore a tight, low cut tank top that showcased her toned arms and other, quite large, assets that Prompto couldn’t help but look at.

“I’ll try to take it easy on you.”

She did the complete opposite and Prompto felt like he was going to die by the time they were finished. She had annihilated him, even in heeled boots. Prompto leaned over on the platform rails. He was gasping and bathed in sweat, staring at her as she pulled her jacket back on. She looked smug and satisfied.

“I didn’t expect you to be uncoordinated, slow, _and_ out of shape.”

She allowed Prompto to play against her in a game of his choosing, next. He owned her in King's Knight and redeemed himself slightly, smiling at the faces she made in frustration. She made the selection after that and when she led Prompto to a fishing game, he stopped in his tracks.

“I’m tired of playing games, I’m sorry.” He provided no further explanation. “I’m gonna go.”

She grabbed his hands quicker than either one of them thought she would.

“Don’t go yet. I want to see if you’re as bad on a real dance floor as you are on a fake one.”

\---- 

She took him to a nightclub after that. The deep bass of the industrial music that was playing was loud and pounding before they even entered the club. Prompto looked in the doorway to see a dense, gyrating crowd of people illuminated by low red and blue lights that made them look slightly unreal. She apparently knew the bouncer there and gave him a fist bump too as he moved aside to let them cut people in the absurdly long line. Prompto didn’t go in. Going to an arcade was one thing, nightclubs were another. He hadn’t been to one in years, not since high school, and he hated the experiences because they triggered his anxiety regardless of how often he went. He was unsure of how it would be now that everyone knew who he was and the thought brought on more anxiety. She felt him hesitate and leaned over to whisper into his ear. Her hot breath sent shivers down his neck.

“They don’t care about who you are here,” she said. “You can be whatever you want to be.”

They pushed their way through the crowd and went to the bar. She held up four fingers and the bartender almost immediately produced two mixed drinks and two shots while looking down her shirt. Prompto grabbed his drink and tried to hide the fact that his hand was shaking. Old habits died hard. He took a sip while she held up her shot glass and tipped it towards him before pounding it back. The drink tasted of rubbing alcohol and he struggled to not spit it back in his cup. He had never been much of a drinker. She pointed at his shot glass and raised an eyebrow; he could barely shake his head before she slugged it back, too. He sipped at his drink again hoping to relax, but mostly doing it to not look lame.

She took a long sip at her drink before she tugged the chain hanging from his belt, trying to urge him out onto the dance floor. He shook his head adamantly and, realizing she couldn’t convince him, she shrugged and shoved her jacket into his hands.

“What’s your name?” He screamed over the music. He realized that he had yet to ask her this question and felt the need to ask it before she made it to the dance floor, as if he would never see her again.

She cupped a hand around an ear as she walked backwards to the dance floor. She began dancing, not in time with the music but still oddly compelling. She closed her eyes and danced like she was the only one on the floor, rubbing her hands over her body. A strobe light started to flash and it made her look like a stop-motion film of seduction and danger.

Prompto drained his drink, then reached for hers. He felt as if he were Icarus and she were the sun and started to get nervous. He didn’t know how he got in his position, nor did he know where he was supposed to go from there. He didn’t even know her name. Prompto was beginning to feel dangerously lightheaded and he tried to blame it on various things –- the lights, the music, the alcohol –- but he wondered how much of it was a result of looking at her.

\----

Her name was Asher, an odd name for an odd girl.

“Isn’t Asher a boy’s name?” Prompto asked. They were sitting in a park, on the swings. His ears were still ringing from the nightclub. Asher was eating a lollipop and Prompto kept looking at her mouth. She licked slowly at her candy. He wasn’t sure if it was on purpose.

“Isn’t Prompto a weird name?”

They smiled at each other. Asher’s smile was crooked and had a veneer of confidence. Her eyes were what betrayed her, deep pools of cerulean that rippled with self-consciousness and doubt. The familiarity hit Prompto hard and his heart gave a sharp pang that reverberated through his body.

“What’s wrong?” She was looking at him with concern now. Prompto was clutching at the swing chains and staring past her, his mind opening up the old wounds of memories that thought he had suppressed.

“Nothing.” His voice was a barely a whisper. He cleared his throat and looked at her. “Nothing. Sorry.”

Asher said nothing else about the subject. She licked her lollipop again, twirling it on her tongue a bit and pumped her feet, swinging gently.

“So, are we going to see each other again?” She asked. Straight to the point.

Prompto couldn’t give her an answer. He really didn’t know what his intentions were with her.

“How old are you, anyway?”

“Just turned eighteen.” The words had an air of the arrogant pride that all newly minted eighteen-year-olds have: that they were now, finally, adults in a world that they have barely begun to comprehend. “It’s not nice to ask a lady her age, you know.”

Prompto laughed but was disappointed. He definitely didn’t know what his intentions would be with an eighteen-year-old.

“I’m old enough to be your father.”

“Barely.” She paused. “How old are you anyway?”

“Old enough.”

Asher mocked him, repeating the words in a low octave and making a face. Prompto chuckled, dipping his head to hide a slight blush that he didn’t expect.

“Are you old enough to take me on a proper date?” She licked at her lollipop in an unhurried manner. This time it was definitely on purpose. “Like…a nice dinner?”

Prompto was staring at her and she smiled again. He nodded slowly.

“Yeah.”

“Great. Since you’re famous, it has to be extra fancy.” She smiled wider then popped her lollipop in her mouth. A moment later, she removed it to speak again, remembering something.

“No vegetables though.”

\---- 

He waited two weeks to call her. He picked up his phone to call several times before deciding to hang up, until one day he didn’t.

“Pick me up at seven-thirty,” she ordered. There was no resentment about not being contacted sooner. “Don’t be late.”

He took her to one of his favorite spots. It was in a high rise and had an amazing view of the city. Prompto liked it because nobody ever bothered him when he visited and because the food reminded him of Ignis’, who didn’t cook much anymore. He wouldn’t have called it overly fancy, but Asher seemed to be impressed with it enough either way. He could see a look of mild surprise on the host’s face when he saw Prompto walk up with a companion.

“Your usual table, sir?”

His usual table was a large circular one in a corner, with about half of it surrounded by a plush, leather booth. It was by the windows and positioned in a way that allowed diners to overlook the city while they ate while also providing some privacy, depending on the angle. Asher slid in first and Prompto entered the booth next, then frowned as he bumped into her.

Prompto cocked his head a bit, confused. “You wanna move over?”

She stared at him and shook her head. She had her hair in a pretty style that consisted of loose curls. They were piled effortlessly on top of head and bounced with her movements.

“No.”

Like the first night they met, Asher unapologetically invaded Prompto’s space. He could feel the heat emanating from her body that was encased in a deep burgundy dress. It clung to her like a second skin. He looked at her as she dipped her eyes to his lips and licked her own. They were painted in a color identical to her dress.

“Is this okay?” She whispered.

While he could certainly think of worse situations to be in, it wasn’t okay. He wasn’t ready. But he let it happen anyway and he felt her hand inch towards his knee as they engaged in comfortable conversation. It wasn’t forced or too intense and Prompto appreciated that. He was surprised to feel mild annoyance when the waiter came by with their food and interrupted them.

“For the lovely lady,” the waiter stated, setting down a plate totally devoid of any color other than brown. Prompto had ordered steak and brown rice for her and that was it; he had even requested for them to remove the parsley.

“No vegetables,” Prompto said quietly and she smiled.

\---- 

Asher introduced Prompto to a wine that tasted like juice and he loved it. It was more his speed than anything else. They had downed four bottles of it and were on the verge of being shitty drunk before they decided to leave. The two of them walked closely down the city streets. Sometimes they would drunkenly stumble and knock elbows or shoulders, but neither one made the move to purposely touch the other. The bright lights of the buildings and the sounds of the crowd made Prompto feel dizzy, but in a good way. He felt like he was on a carnival ride that was spinning fast but at just the right speed.

Prompto saw Asher shiver a bit. He pulled off his dress jacket and placed it over her bare shoulders, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her close before he could stop himself. That seemed to be what she had been waiting for and she seamlessly moved her head to rest on his chest.

“I had fun,” she said. “Thank you.”

Prompto nodded as they continued to walk and Asher laughed whenever they would stumble a bit. They eventually stumbled hard enough to fall into a gate of a closed storefront and she started laughing hysterically.

“Shh,” whispered Prompto. His shush was theatrical and he realized he was officially tanked.

Asher laughed harder. She fell on top of Prompto, pushing him into the gate and making it hard for him to gain his footing. Every time it seemed he would he’d fall back onto the gate and pull Asher on top of him, inadvertently grabbing her tighter while she shrieked with laughter. Prompto continued his drunken whisper.

“Shut. Up.”

Still, he could feel himself fighting a grin. He also felt Asher’s breasts press up against his chest as he held onto her. His grin faded and he tried hard to stand them both up, this time succeeding. She was still laughing when Prompto looked at her, then quickly down at a watch on his wrist that wasn’t there.

“I think it’s time for me to leave. I’ll walk you to wherever you want to go, or call a cab for you.”

He grabbed some gil out of his wallet for a cab and held it out to her. Asher stopped laughing and she smacked Prompto’s hand away.

“Why? I thought we were having fun.”

Prompto shrugged.

“Yeah, we were. It’s just time for me to go. It’s late and I’m old.” He hated being so aloof, but he could feel himself becoming extremely attracted to her, too quickly.

Asher exhaled loudly, looking at Prompto with a frown and crossing her arms underneath his jacket that was somehow still around her shoulders. She looked like a child getting ready to throw a tantrum and Prompto was then reminded of how young she really was. Another reason to not get involved.

“It’s not even that late, Prompto, and I’m not ready to go home yet. I don’t think you are either.”

Prompto couldn’t deny this and said nothing.

She moved closer to him. “If I can convince you to stay, will you?”

“I’m really not sure how you’ll do that.”

\----

She pulled him into a narrow alley and grabbed his hair as she pushed him roughly against a brick wall. He didn’t know how she managed to do so. She leaned into his body as they kissed hard enough to knock teeth together. It was so good.

He took her to his place. He had no idea how they got there, he just knew that they were there, they were kissing, and they were really going through with this. They made out hard on Prompto’s couch, him sitting down while she writhed on top of him like a cat struggling to get out of someone’s arms and grabbed the back of the couch with both hands. Her hair was loose, raven curls flowing everywhere, while her dress was hiked up around her hips and exposed underwear that no barely legal girl should have access to. Prompto’s hands greedily roamed her body and when she sat atop his erection, he moaned loudly as he felt her heat through his pants.

“Asher,” he whispered. His head thumped on the back of the couch and she licked his exposed neck.

“Bed?”

He nodded and carried her off to his room. He was in his bathroom searching for condoms when he vaguely heard crying. Concerned, he made his way back to the bedroom. Asher was fully naked and under the bed sheets, but was sitting up and cradling her head in her hands.

“Are you okay?” Prompto cautiously made his way to her. The turn was very sudden, even considering how drunk she was, and a crying teenager in a thirty-two-year-old’s bed was never a good thing.

Asher lifted her head and sniffed. Prompto was really concerned when he saw that she was crying deeply.

“Prompto, I…” Asher’s defenses were completely down and she could barely stop crying long enough to talk. “I’m a virgin.”

Prompto sighed with relief. He forgot all about the crazy things that young women obsessed over.

“It’s okay. I might as well be one.”

He kissed her gently and wiped her tears away. They slowly made love and Prompto thought about how nervous he was during his first time. That inevitably made him think of Noctis and he found himself comparing him to Asher, no matter how hard he tried not to. He then he felt that doing so was unfair to her, as they were completely different people. Noctis was introverted, Asher was extroverted. Where there were sharp angles and defined muscles, there were soft curves and toned firmness instead. But Prompto couldn’t help but see the same blueprint: the self-doubt, self-consciousness, the vulnerability. The need to have all of someone’s love, or nothing. These characteristics made up Asher’s essence just as much as they did Noctis’. Sometimes Prompto couldn’t identify where the memories of Noctis ended and the reality of Asher began. It was like when a child equally looked like both parents, that weird feeling when you see someone who so clearly looks like two different people but you can’t state definitively which one they looked like the most.

“Prompto…” Asher gasped and clutched his back as she came. Her muscles tightened around him and he soon followed suit. He lowered himself on top of her and they hugged each other, reveling in the sweaty aftermath. Prompto tried to hold on to this feeling for as long as he could, but it was soon replaced with trepidation as he said goodbye to the line that he had now crossed.

\----

They moved in together not long after. He had asked her. Prompto wanted to get her out of her apartment complex, which was located in one of the few bad areas in Insomnia. She was constantly over his place anyway and it made sense from a fiscal perspective, too. At least, that’s how he tried to justify it.

She made a pretty good roommate. A great one, actually. It didn’t take long for Prompto to get used to her and he viewed her as a natural addition to his personal space. The constant sex didn’t hurt either and, as quickly as Prompto was reminded of the disadvantages, he was reminded of the advantages of dating someone significantly younger.

Asher started changing around six months after they moved in together. She suddenly became distant. Prompto just figured that the honeymoon phase was over and that she was seeing someone else and he was fine with that. He knew she would realize her mistake sooner or later and he would rather her move on than feel obligated to stay with him.

One weekend, they were on the couch watching an old movie. She was lounging on him, her body entangled with his as usual. He passed a bowl of popcorn to her and she shook her head, hard. She got up quickly to go to the bathroom and Prompto sat up, brow knitted, looking after her.

“Asher?”

She took a long time in the bathroom and he was about to get up to check on her when she emerged, walking slowly and looking pale. She looked at him with unshed tears in her eyes.

“I’m pregnant.”

\---- 

Two months later, she became Asher Argentum. He had asked Ignis to officiate the wedding as soon as he decided he was going to marry her and Ignis became ordained just for him. Gladio was their witness. It was within the royal gardens at a location that was, according to Ignis, a favorite of Noctis and his father’s. It was not too far from Noctis’ recently erected memorial. The massive marble statue of Noctis surrounded by the thirteen Royal Arms towered over them as they walked hand in hand past the memorial to the wedding spot. Asher asked Prompto about him for probably the hundredth time since they’d met but he, once again, declined to talk about him. He wouldn’t even speak his name.

“Will you ever be able to tell me about him?” She always respected Prompto’s choice not to talk about his past, but it hurt her more than she let on.

Prompto was silent for a minute. There was no point in lying.

“I don’t know.”

She wore a pretty lace dress that barely revealed a tiny baby bump. It was form-fitting and knee length. It was a dress two generations old that she had inherited from her mother and she cried when she realized she could still fit it. She smiled radiantly as Ignis concluded the ceremony, no longer trying to hide behind her crooked grin. Gladio clapped as they kissed deeply and Prompto realized how lucky he truly was. He silently thanked Noctis for allowing him to have the opportunity to meet Asher. To marry her.

“I love you,” he whispered against her lips. It was meant for the both of them.

\---- 

It was nearing late summer and Asher was due any day. Prompto found out what they were having about a month prior when he couldn’t take not knowing any longer. He came home one day to a plain white box on the kitchen table. Inside of it was a pale pink onesie that was adorned with fake rhinestones and lace and emblazoned with the words _Daddy’s Little Girl!_ Prompto's breath hitched as he sat clumsily on a nearby chair. Being a father was never something that he thought about or anticipated being while growing up and the reality of the situation hit him hard at that moment. He looked at the tiny onesie again and laughed, smiling broadly as he felt true elation.

Now the two lay in bed, the room dark and cool despite the oppressive, early morning humidity. Asher was still miserable though, as she typically was during this last stage of the pregnancy. She was rolling around trying to get comfortable, her pregnant belly on her petite frame making her look like she swallowed a basketball.

“Why are you awake?” Prompto was next to her and face down in a pillow with an arm thrown over her stomach underneath her painfully large, milk heavy breasts. He lifted his head, his bleary eyes struggling to focus on the the clock and plopped it back into the pillow. It was barely six in the morning.

“I can’t sleep. Duh,” she whined. Prompto felt bad for her. She tried to sit up. “I might as well get up and clean. Do you want breakfast?”

Asher was in the nesting stage. While her obsessive cleaning and preparation was helpful, Prompto wished she would just relax. Instead of responding, he pressed her back down into the mattress. He massaged her stomach and curves and began kissing her all over her upper body and face. She protested as he nudged her onto her side, but the protests became breathy moans as he lifted one of her legs and pushed her camisole up, entering her from behind. They had lazy morning sex and, afterwards, Prompto sat up to rub her feet. The sun began to filter through the blinds while birds began to chirp and Prompto felt an inexplicably light feeling in his chest unlike anything he had felt before.

“I was wondering if we could somehow incorporate Noctis’ name into Peanut’s. Maybe the middle?” Peanut had been his nickname for the baby since day one. Prompto was quiet for a moment, thinking of what to say next as he continued his rubbing.

“You remind me of him, a lot.”

Asher was wiggling a foot underneath his hands and humming until she heard his words. She paused and was unsure of what she was hearing.

“Oh yeah?” Her voice was soft. She sat up on her elbows and looked at her husband. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

Prompto smiled, running his hands up her legs.

“It’s a wonderful thing.”

  


**Author's Note:**

> The story was inspired by and owes its title to the really great song ["Prototype"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqhJfjbNuQg) by OutKast ([lyrics](https://genius.com/Outkast-prototype-lyrics)).
> 
> Comments and kudos are always appreciated. You can find my tumblr [here.](http://ipacialiera.tumblr.com/) Thank you for reading!


End file.
